As of late, I’ve been reminded of the power of memorizing scripture.  I’ve heard others say (and I’ve wondered it myself), if memorizing God’s word really makes a difference.  Plain and simple:  it does.

In Victory Over the Darkness, Jerry Bridges notes, “Dealing with Satan is not a power encounter; it’s a truth encounter.”

The power of memorizing scripture is that it embeds truth in the mind and it is this very truth that combats the arrows laden with lies that Satan shoots at us.  The power comes not from my own strength or ability to reason with the lies.  This approach fails every single time.  The knowledge I need to keep my path level comes first from knowing God and second, from knowing His word.  Memorizing scripture not only gives us the truth to combat the lies while abandoning trying to do so in our own power, it allows us to maintain a level path that encourages abiding in Christ.  The Psalmist says in 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

There are lots of methods for accomplishing scripture memory (check out some ideas from my friends at Scripture Dig).  Sometimes we can stall because we don’t know how to begin.  Just begin.  Write down the verse(s) and review it daily.  As you go along, ask God to help you sort out a system that works best for you.  His guarantee is this: “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).